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Germany international reveals how he came close to joining Manchester United

Ilkay Gundogan has revealed how close he came to joining Manchester United last summer during an interview with Sport 360. The 25-year-old went onto join rivals Manchester City this year.

Gundogan stated that he did not want to leave Dortmund on a free transfer which lead him to signing a new contract at the end of last season. The Germany international also expressed his joy at joining Manchester City this summer.

“Maybe last year it was close, but not everything happened like I wanted it to,” Gundogan told Sport 360.

“Maybe it was not the right moment and at the end we decided to stay and renew my contract, to extend for one more year.

“We always had the conversation with Dortmund and agreed that if I left, I will not leave for free, for zero. So I renewed my contract and now this year everyone is lucky and happy how it came to an end.

“I recognised over the last few months that I needed a change, to start from zero, to prove myself again, which is why I’m really happy to be here, to have the chance to work with Guardiola and this wonderful club.”

Gundogan made the move to Manchester City for £20 million last month but will be unable to make his debut for the club until August due to a knee injury he suffered in training.

The 25-year-old dislocated his knee and has been ruled out of the opening weeks of the Premier League season. Gundogan provided seven assists and scored three goals in 40 appearances for Borussia Dortmund in all competitions last season.